October 27, 2026
What does it mean to “fit” in at a college?
For years, families have been told that where a student goes to college matters. Families increasingly fixate on brand names, convinced that will lead to a good outcome.
But is that instinct correct?
In a survey of more than 3,000 parents, only 16% said prestige mattered most for their own child. Yet 61% believed other parents in their community value it highly. In other words, families oftentimes search less for what they want and more for what they think everyone else wants.
This gap is what drove Jeff Selingo, higher education journalist, author, and strategist, to host his webinar on Finding the Right College Fit, where he conducted three in-depth interviews on:
Fit vs. Prestige ft. Whitney Soule, University of Pennsylvania
Mentors and Belonging ft. Beth Pontari, Furman University
ROI (Return on Investment) ft. Michael Itzkowitz, The HEA Group & Former Director of the College Scorecard
During the webinar, Selingo brought in these three experts one at a time for a focused interview on a specific dimension of fit.
Michael discusses how families should think about ROI for college:
Want to hear more? Check out the full webinar here:
